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The First Academy baseball team flexed its muscles in a dominant two-game sweep of Melbourne Central Catholic in a Class 2A Region 2 quarterfinal series.
The Royals (24-4), ranked No. 2 in 2A behind Region 1 favorite Trinity Christian (25-4) of Jacksonville, crushed MCC 23-0 in a 3½-inning game one and blanked the Hustlers 12-0 in a second game that was also shortened by the mercy-rule to 4½ innings.
TFA batted .540 as a team (27-for-50) and blasted 9 home runs in the series, 8 in game one. That gives the Royals 37 homers this year.
Remo Indoenico, a senior, homered in both games. Blake Fields, also a senior, went 3-for-3 with a triple and a double in game two.
The Royals utilized five pitchers in the shutouts: seniors Kyle Hopper and Thomas Achey, juniors Josh Garcia and Ryon Smith, and ninth grader Matthew Rondon.
TFA, on a 10-game win streak, faces fifth seed John Carroll (19-9) of Fort Pierce in a region semifinal series next week. The Royals, as the higher seed, will host games Monday and Tuesday. If a third game is necessary it will be played Thursday, May 1, in Fort Pierce.
The Florida High School Athletic Association adopted the new best-of-three series format for all three rounds of regional play this season.
Top seed Bishop Moore (22-7) swept Pasco in two games in a 4A Region 2 quarterfinal. Pine Ridge (13-9-2) also won Monday and Tuesday to close out Ocala Vanguard. But No. 4 Mount Dora and Lake Wales split games, as did Eustis and Mulberry. Those teams play third and final games Thursday.
Mount Dora Christian (15-13), the No. 1 seed in 1A Region 3, swept its quarterfinal and will face fourth seed Deltona Trinity Christian (15-14) next week.
The Master’s Academy and Foundation Academy both went to 2A Region 2 third games, as did Umatilla in 3A-2.
The big-school classifications, 7A, 6A and 5A opened their quarterfinal series today, with second games Thursday and if necessary showdowns Saturday.
The FHSAA final four tournaments will revert back to single-elimination play. Those games are set to begin Wednesday, May 14, and run through Wednesday, May 21, in Fort Myers.
Track & field
Thursday’s 4A District 4 meet at West Orange boasts the area leader in six boys events:
110 hurdles: Jaiden Manning, Ocoee 14.30
800: Elijah Wiggins, Evans, 1:53.89.
4×400: Evans 3:17.81
Triple jump: Cameron Gilreath, Ocoee 45-10
Shot put: Diego De Pina, Ocoee 56-4¾
Discus: De Pina, Ocoee 177-1
That list does not include reigning 400 hurdles state champ Kai Evans of Lake Minneola, who ran that event only once this regular season. Evans, who also won the Class 3A 110 hurdles title last year, has been hindered since last spring.
“I haven’t run any good times this year,” Evans said in a Tuesday phone interview. “I’ve been injured all year with strained tendons in my left foot.”
Still, he is set to race in the 100-meter dash, 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles and 4×400 relay.
Another elite Lake Minneola runner who has been limited by injury this season is freshman phenom Vanessa Waite. In August of 2024, she won the 100 and 200 meter sprints in the AAU Junior Olympics. Her 23.26 time in the 200 broke the previous national record (23.56) for the 15 and 16 age group. She was 14 at the time.
She did run a personal best 56.62 time in the 400 at the Lake-Sumter championship meet two weeks ago.
Field events begin at 3 p.m. and races at 4.
Elsewhere Thursday, the 2A-6 meet is at Lake Highland Prep and South Sumter hosts 3A-5. Bishop Moore hosts 3A-6 on Friday.
Kissimmee Gateway used domination in field events and the speed of Jose Calderson to win the 3A-7 boys title.
Winter Park’s Jerald Carroll, the area boys player of the year last season, did not play in the Wildcats 5-0 region semifinal win against West Orange on Tuesday. Instead, he was playing in a prestigious International Tennis Federation tournament in Delray Beach.
He’ll be back in the Winter Park lineup when the ‘Cats host Lake Mary in boys and girls region finals on Thursday. That moves his doubles partner, standout sophomore Tristan Bradu, back to the No. 2 singles line.
Lake Nona’s boys and girls powerhouse programs will host Windermere at 2 p.m. Thursday at the nearby United State Tennis Association national campus. Both Lake Nona teams skated to 5-0 semifinal wins.
Lake Highland Prep’s boys and girls team, and both Geneva School teams also advanced to Thursday, as did Lake Buena Vista’s girls, Trinity Prep’s boys, TFA’s girls,, and Innovation’s first-year boys team.
Regional winners advance to next week’s FHSAA state tournaments at three Seminole County venues: Sanlando Park, Red Bug Lake Park and Sylvan Park.
Edgewater’s Darius Washington III was selected to play in Thursday night’s Capital City Classic at CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC.
Duke Leonardo, who went 94-43 in five seasons at Harmony, is heading to Brevard County to be boys basketball head coach for Satellite. He coached the Longhorns to their first two district titles (2023, 2025) and 20-win seasons (2023, 2024) in program history.
Top seeds Lake Mary (16-3) in 2A Region 1 and Hagerty (15-5) in 2A-2 cruised to region quarterfinal victories Tuesday.
The Rams will host Tocoi Creek (9-8) and Hagerty will be home against Winter Park (14-7) in Tuesday semifinals. Oviedo (12-6) will be home against Lake Howell (14-6).
Boys lacrosse region quarters were Wednesday leading into region finals next Wednesday.
Winter Park (12-0) claimed the 3A District 5 title Tuesday.
Most of the area districts have finals Wednesday or Thursday.
Winter Park senior Layla Jefferson led the area with 20 interceptions and was also among the leaders in tackles (flag pulls) with 91 for the season. She had 42 picks in three varsity seasons.
Eleven Orlando area teams reached Wednesday’s region quarterfinals. Winners advance to Monday’s semifinal round.
Montverde Academy (23-2), last year’s 3A state champ, scored a 7-2 win against 6A No. 3 Parrish Community (21-3) on Tuesday. The Eagles dropped to 2A this season and ranked No. 1 in that class.
Ana Roman and Sabrina Boyer homered and 6A No. 7 Hagerty completed its 18-6 regular season with an 8-6 win against Windermere (12-10).
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Continue reading...
The Royals (24-4), ranked No. 2 in 2A behind Region 1 favorite Trinity Christian (25-4) of Jacksonville, crushed MCC 23-0 in a 3½-inning game one and blanked the Hustlers 12-0 in a second game that was also shortened by the mercy-rule to 4½ innings.
TFA batted .540 as a team (27-for-50) and blasted 9 home runs in the series, 8 in game one. That gives the Royals 37 homers this year.
Remo Indoenico, a senior, homered in both games. Blake Fields, also a senior, went 3-for-3 with a triple and a double in game two.
The Royals utilized five pitchers in the shutouts: seniors Kyle Hopper and Thomas Achey, juniors Josh Garcia and Ryon Smith, and ninth grader Matthew Rondon.
TFA, on a 10-game win streak, faces fifth seed John Carroll (19-9) of Fort Pierce in a region semifinal series next week. The Royals, as the higher seed, will host games Monday and Tuesday. If a third game is necessary it will be played Thursday, May 1, in Fort Pierce.
The Florida High School Athletic Association adopted the new best-of-three series format for all three rounds of regional play this season.
Top seed Bishop Moore (22-7) swept Pasco in two games in a 4A Region 2 quarterfinal. Pine Ridge (13-9-2) also won Monday and Tuesday to close out Ocala Vanguard. But No. 4 Mount Dora and Lake Wales split games, as did Eustis and Mulberry. Those teams play third and final games Thursday.
Mount Dora Christian (15-13), the No. 1 seed in 1A Region 3, swept its quarterfinal and will face fourth seed Deltona Trinity Christian (15-14) next week.
The Master’s Academy and Foundation Academy both went to 2A Region 2 third games, as did Umatilla in 3A-2.
The big-school classifications, 7A, 6A and 5A opened their quarterfinal series today, with second games Thursday and if necessary showdowns Saturday.
The FHSAA final four tournaments will revert back to single-elimination play. Those games are set to begin Wednesday, May 14, and run through Wednesday, May 21, in Fort Myers.
Track & field
Thursday’s 4A District 4 meet at West Orange boasts the area leader in six boys events:
110 hurdles: Jaiden Manning, Ocoee 14.30
800: Elijah Wiggins, Evans, 1:53.89.
4×400: Evans 3:17.81
Triple jump: Cameron Gilreath, Ocoee 45-10
Shot put: Diego De Pina, Ocoee 56-4¾
Discus: De Pina, Ocoee 177-1
That list does not include reigning 400 hurdles state champ Kai Evans of Lake Minneola, who ran that event only once this regular season. Evans, who also won the Class 3A 110 hurdles title last year, has been hindered since last spring.
“I haven’t run any good times this year,” Evans said in a Tuesday phone interview. “I’ve been injured all year with strained tendons in my left foot.”
Still, he is set to race in the 100-meter dash, 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles and 4×400 relay.
Another elite Lake Minneola runner who has been limited by injury this season is freshman phenom Vanessa Waite. In August of 2024, she won the 100 and 200 meter sprints in the AAU Junior Olympics. Her 23.26 time in the 200 broke the previous national record (23.56) for the 15 and 16 age group. She was 14 at the time.
She did run a personal best 56.62 time in the 400 at the Lake-Sumter championship meet two weeks ago.
Field events begin at 3 p.m. and races at 4.
Elsewhere Thursday, the 2A-6 meet is at Lake Highland Prep and South Sumter hosts 3A-5. Bishop Moore hosts 3A-6 on Friday.
Kissimmee Gateway used domination in field events and the speed of Jose Calderson to win the 3A-7 boys title.
Tennis
Winter Park’s Jerald Carroll, the area boys player of the year last season, did not play in the Wildcats 5-0 region semifinal win against West Orange on Tuesday. Instead, he was playing in a prestigious International Tennis Federation tournament in Delray Beach.
He’ll be back in the Winter Park lineup when the ‘Cats host Lake Mary in boys and girls region finals on Thursday. That moves his doubles partner, standout sophomore Tristan Bradu, back to the No. 2 singles line.
Lake Nona’s boys and girls powerhouse programs will host Windermere at 2 p.m. Thursday at the nearby United State Tennis Association national campus. Both Lake Nona teams skated to 5-0 semifinal wins.
Lake Highland Prep’s boys and girls team, and both Geneva School teams also advanced to Thursday, as did Lake Buena Vista’s girls, Trinity Prep’s boys, TFA’s girls,, and Innovation’s first-year boys team.
Regional winners advance to next week’s FHSAA state tournaments at three Seminole County venues: Sanlando Park, Red Bug Lake Park and Sylvan Park.
Basketball bits
Edgewater’s Darius Washington III was selected to play in Thursday night’s Capital City Classic at CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC.
Duke Leonardo, who went 94-43 in five seasons at Harmony, is heading to Brevard County to be boys basketball head coach for Satellite. He coached the Longhorns to their first two district titles (2023, 2025) and 20-win seasons (2023, 2024) in program history.
Girls lacrosse
Top seeds Lake Mary (16-3) in 2A Region 1 and Hagerty (15-5) in 2A-2 cruised to region quarterfinal victories Tuesday.
The Rams will host Tocoi Creek (9-8) and Hagerty will be home against Winter Park (14-7) in Tuesday semifinals. Oviedo (12-6) will be home against Lake Howell (14-6).
Boys lacrosse region quarters were Wednesday leading into region finals next Wednesday.
Beach volleyball
Winter Park (12-0) claimed the 3A District 5 title Tuesday.
Most of the area districts have finals Wednesday or Thursday.
Flag football
Winter Park senior Layla Jefferson led the area with 20 interceptions and was also among the leaders in tackles (flag pulls) with 91 for the season. She had 42 picks in three varsity seasons.
Eleven Orlando area teams reached Wednesday’s region quarterfinals. Winners advance to Monday’s semifinal round.
Softball
Montverde Academy (23-2), last year’s 3A state champ, scored a 7-2 win against 6A No. 3 Parrish Community (21-3) on Tuesday. The Eagles dropped to 2A this season and ranked No. 1 in that class.
Ana Roman and Sabrina Boyer homered and 6A No. 7 Hagerty completed its 18-6 regular season with an 8-6 win against Windermere (12-10).
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Continue reading...
